Corrupt Love

by Cee Perkins

  My heart sank to my stomach, then down to my toes. I let out a strangled sound that I hoped passed as agreement and tried to pretend I wasn’t the exact thing he was talking about. I cleared my throat and said, “Oh, shoot, I’ve gotta run, my brother is waiting for me.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to keep you,” he said.

  “No, no, I’m always glad to hear from you. We’ll talk soon, ok? Maybe have another date,” I said, trying to be breezy and unaffected.

  “That sounds great,” he said. “Talk later!”

  Shit. Fuck Me.

  Chapter 16

  Corra

  I forced the conversation out of my head so I could get the job done. Sitting on the roof of a building across from where I’d seen the mark enter, I watched as the man was walking out of a strip club. The gold metal of his wedding ring glinted in the light of the streetlamp, and for the first time ever, I hesitated. The man had a wife. Did he have children? How old? How many? Then it occurred to me that he came out of a strip club. Alone.

  Once I’d seen the man on the pavement, I packed up and hauled ass. No reason to hang around— that’s how bitches got caught. Safely in my apartment, I unwrapped my hair and shed my work clothes. Hey, no reason I can’t have a uniform, right? At least it looked better than the Hooters uniform.

  It wasn’t late, so after a shower and sliding into comfy clothes, I texted Dan to see what he was doing. I was hoping that I’d be able to let his comments from earlier settle into dust by talking more to him. Don’t question my logic.

  Me: Hello, darlin.

  Dan: How’re you doin?

  I couldn’t help but smile.

  Me: it’s been a long time…

  Dan: You’re just as lovely as you used to be.

  I laughed out loud.

  Me: Did you have a good day?

  Dan: That’s not how the song goes, Corra.

  I could hear his velvety voice say my name and it gave me shivers.

  Me: I know, but ol’ Conway doesn’t have lyrics for us.

  Dan: I have a feeling our song hasn’t quite been written.

  See? Totes made me feel like a fucking lady.

  Me: How do you do that?

  Dan: Do what?

  Me: Make me feel good.

  It was a few minutes before his answer came through.

  Dan: I guess it’s because I feel good talking to you.

  Me: *blush* I like talking to you too.

  Dan: I find it hard to believe I made you blush.

  Me: Seriously, how was your day?

  Dan: It was...trying. I told you about work yesterday, but then something else happened yesterday evening. You know how I told you my mom has a gambling problem? It caught up with her and now she has a rib, eye, and nose problem to go with it.

  Me: Ouch. So you’re taking care of her?

  Dan: Ah...no. I stopped by to check in on her this afternoon, but I can’t do anything for her.

  That didn’t sit well with me. Not that he felt that he couldn’t do anything for her because as an addict, he couldn’t really. But he could have let her come stay with him and help her out that way.

  Me: Oh

  Dan: I know it makes me sound callous, but I can’t trust her in my house, and I don’t want her debtors to know where I live. I’d actually prefer they not know I exist at all.

  On the one hand, that was true because I knew the people his mom most likely dealt with, and their debt collector was a feisty little bitch, who would go after family if she were paid to. On the other...well, my family didn’t work that way.

  Me: I get that. From what I understand of people like that, they wouldn’t hesitate to go after family.

  Dan: Exactly.

  Dan: What are you doing right now?

  Me: Uh...talking to you, silly.

  Dan: No, I mean do you feel like having company?

  Skiiiiiirrrrrrp. What’s that now? It was 9:30 p.m. and company was usually naked from this hour onward.

  Me: Sure, I’d love your company.

  Dan: Be over in a half-hour?

  Um, yes, please.

  Me: That sounds good

  Dan: Ok, see you in a few.

  Holy shit!! Taking quick inventory, I thought of my last wax, number and age of condoms, amount of lube (you never know when you’ll need that shit, and it’s better not to get caught without it). Deodorant, check. I concentrated on making sure all of my work equipment was put up. Maybe I should put cookies in the oven, a la Clueless? I didn’t have any cookie dough, so I settled for a floral-scented essential oil.

  And just as I was dimming the lights, the doorman buzzed to confirm Dan’s visit. I stood at my door, waiting for the elevator. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I was going to get Dan, Dan concentrate, because we’d be alone. I wanted that so, so badly.

  The elevator sounded its arrival and opened. There stood Dan, and he was incredible in soft denim and a Pink Floyd t-shirt. The man continued to surprise me. He smiled as he approached, looking nervous if his darting gaze was anything to go by. “Hi,” he said, when he stopped in front of me.

  I reached for him and pulled him inside the door. “Hi.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and lay my head on his chest. His racing heart beat under my cheek, telling me that he was, indeed, nervous. But his arms came around me, too, squeezing me close. He raised my head and brought his lips to mine softly. I felt his smile against my lips and sighed. All my concerns about our conversation earlier faded in the face of being with him.

  He backed up and looked around my living room. “Much quieter than it was last time I was here,” he said with a slight blush.

  “Yeah, I don’t usually entertain so many people.” I chuckled. “Can I get you a drink? I have water, Cheerwine, cranberry juice, and vodka.”

  Dan’s eyebrow quirked and he said, “Cheerwine?”

  “Only the best soda ever made,” I said, heading for the fridge. I pulled out two cans and walked back into the living room to find Dan sitting comfortably on the couch, still looking around. I had pictures of my family and Cay, as well as some of the girls I trained and some other friends. Dan’s eyes finally landed on me and his smile widened. “I like your place,” he said.

  “Thank you. I bought it for the view.” I nodded toward the darkened windows. “They’re tinted so there’s not so much of a glare and no one can see inside, but I can still see out like they’re clear.”

  Great, I’m talking about windows. I couldn’t be any lamer.

  Dan just smiled at me, like he could tell I was nervous. Why was I nervous, though? Men didn’t make me nervous. If anything, he should be wary of me, him being my prey and all.

  I cleared my throat. “So how’s your mom?”

  Dan’s gaze went toward the windows again and he sighed, his hands fiddled with the corner of a throw pillow. “She’s ok. In pain, but she won’t let me take her to the doctor.”

  “Can I ask you something?” I asked, biting my lip.

  “Sure,” Dan said, staring hard at my mouth.

  “Why don’t you trust your mom?”

  He shook himself and looked at me. He took a deep breath and answered, “It’s actually something I just worked out in therapy. She never really took care of me like a mom does, and it made me think subconsciously that she wouldn’t ever take care of me or my things. I mean, I was always fed, clothed, and had a roof over my head, but when I was sick, I would have to handle it myself. I learned laundry at a young age so I wouldn’t wear dirty clothes to school. Those are things a mom is supposed to do, right? I couldn’t trust her to do her duty as a mom. She’s never redeemed herself and is still proving that she won’t ever.”

  Wow. I couldn’t imagine his life. “I’m so sorry, Dan. I can’t even imagine how it affected you. I’m lucky I got my parents.”

  Dan chuckled lightly, “Oh, but Corra, you don’t have to imagine how it’s affected me. You can plainly see it.”

  I sat back but turned my body toward h
im. “Hm.”

  We were silent for a minute, then Dan’s hand snaked its way over to my bare knee. His fingers connected with my skin and lit me on fire. He traced a finger over the inside of my knee, then up, up, over my hip. He spread his hand out as he reached my ribcage, then gripped my waist. My whole body was tingling, my heartbeat rushing in my ears, and I watched as Dan’s eyes showed something I never thought I’d see in him.

  “I...I have never done anything like this, Corra. Well, except for that one time. I like you so much, but this is all so new to me.”

  My breath stuttered, and I said something I never thought I’d ever say. “We can go as slow as you need, Dan.”

  His relieved smile and grateful gaze told me I’d said the right thing. He pulled me closer to him and tangled his fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck. His breathing stuttered, his chest heaved, and he licked his lips and leaned into me.

  I’d never been kissed like this by any other man. Dan was the only one who’d ever gotten this reaction from me, this desperate need to have all of him pressed against all of me. The little sting in my scalp, the softness of his mouth, the slide of his tongue against mine, his clean scent surrounding me all worked together to suck me under. In Dan, I didn’t need to breathe. In this space with him, I wasn’t Corra the Assassin, I was simply a woman drowning in her man’s existence.

  I heard his moan, swallowed it down, and I couldn’t keep my hands to myself. My hands sneaked up his chest to his neck, then my fingers found his hair. He gasped and I needed to be closer. I spread my legs to straddle him and his hands went down to my ass to hold me in place against his solid dick. Closer. I wrapped my legs around him, my arms going around his neck, my center tighter over his erection. Closer. But there was no more closer left.

  His mouth was still hot on mine, his tongue wet in my mouth, his breathing fast and heavy and his hands were sneaking down the back of my shorts. I heard and felt his gasp when he realized I wasn’t wearing panties. Then he chuckled and said against me, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’re not wearing underwear?”

  I giggled and pulled back to look at him. “What can I say? I like being naked.”

  His eyes heated and his nostrils flared. “I think I’d like you being naked, too,” he said, his voice low and rich in my ears.

  I looked into his eyes and saw clouds of lust and want, and I said, “We could find out for certain.”

  He hesitated only a second before leaning into my lips again and nodding. “Ok.”

  I backed up again to look at him carefully. “As slow as you need.”

  He blushed and nodded, looking down. I stood, then held out my hand to lead him to my room. He looked at me, his lips red from friction and wet from me, then took my hand.

  In the low light of my bedside lamp, I could see Dan’s nerves flare again. He bit down on his lip, then shook himself and strode over to me quickly. I reached for the hem of his shirt, then looked up at him. He nodded, then raised his arms above his head. I took off his shirt, then ran my hands down his smooth skin, over his pecs and his nipples, making him shiver and moan. He opened his eyes, and with a shy smile pulled at my shirt. Slowly, he raised my shirt over my head, keeping his eyes on my face, like he couldn’t make himself look down. I could feel his stiffness against me, teasing without meaning to. Instead of reaching for my tits, his fingers made their way down my shoulders to wrap around my waist again and he leaned down to kiss me. He took a deep breath, as though to fortify himself, and kissed his way down my neck, over my collarbone, down my chest, and finally reached my nipple. He licked with the flat of his tongue and I swear to all that is holy I almost came from that alone. Fuck, this slow foreplay was going to kill me. I gasped, my eyes rolling back, then looked down to see his eyes on me while his mouth sucked my nipple. I grabbed his face and pulled him closer, encouraging his exploration. Gently, he lay me down on the bed, hovering over me, staring as hard at me as I was at him. I traced my hands over his shoulders, down his sides, and gripped his hips, pulling him down to me and wrapping my legs tight around him, heels digging into his ass to push his steel cock into my wet shorts.

  I could feel his heat through our clothes. Our lips found one another again, our kiss hard and wanting, our hips grinding on the other’s.

  “Corra,” he breathed, “I’m...fu— ohmygod!” His back arched, his whole body tensed, then shuddered as he came, his hips jerked against me, bringing my own orgasm out.

  My breath caught as I watched him, letting pleasure roll over me in deep waves before losing all my strength and my muscles going lax with satisfaction.

  Dan’s head was on my shoulder as he held his weight off me with his elbows. He was panting heavily, then collapsed next to me.

  Suddenly, it occurred to me what Dan was going to say and I giggled. “You almost said fuck.”

  He chuckled, still breathless, and shook his head. “No, I was thinking ‘fudgeknuckles.’”

  He was so cute. “No one thinks ‘fudgeknuckles’ during sex.”

  “I do. Can I, um, use your restroom?”

  “Of course,” I said, looking over at him.

  I could see embarrassment starting to bloom on his face, led by his reddened cheeks. “Hey, what is it?” I asked gently, running my fingers through his hair.

  “We didn’t get very far…” he said softly.

  “Um, I’d say an orgasm is pretty far,” I said.

  He shook his head, “We both still have clothes on.”

  “That’s just a testament of how good it felt to have you so close.” Sap.

  Dan’s eyes opened, and his gaze found mine. “You don’t have to—”

  “Dan. Not trying to blow the moment here, but I’ve had a lot of sex, and not one man has ever made me come with my clothes still on, especially like that, not even touching my pussy.”

  His face turned even more red, and he turned his head and blew out a breath. “I guess I am pretty good, then.”

  I laughed. “Yes, I’d say you’re ‘pretty good.’ Great, even.”

  He smiled, still looking unsure, then sat up. “I’m gonna…” he gestured toward my bathroom.

  “Yeah, of course,” I said, sitting up as well. I was going to have to change my shorts because these were soaked. I watched Dan’s shirtless back retreat into the bathroom and he closed the door.

  I really hoped he wouldn’t freak out and run.

  Dan

  I was freaking out. Not only had I had my first ever orgasm with someone else in the room, but now my boxer briefs were covered in my release. How was I going to handle that?

  And did I stay the night? Did she want me to? Did I want me to? I was not equipped to handle this. What did I do? I gripped the countertop with tense fingers and bowed my head, trying to breathe deeply. I thought about texting Ryan for advice, but...even if he answered, would it actually be advice or a bro-fist-bump-macho thing?

  I ran cold water in the sink and splashed some on my face. I pulled my pants down and used a washcloth to clean off as best I could, trying to gain some semblance of control with each swipe of the washcloth.

  I took a mental step back from my freak out. When I wasn’t overwhelmed with my next steps, the memory of Corra touching me, kissing me, under me...coming because of me...it was amazing. I never knew I could feel like that. She was so soft and easy with me, and she managed to lessen my embarrassment by 98%. Still, I came in my pants. No full-grown man could honestly not be at least a little embarrassed about that.

  She made me feel so good. And I realized, I wanted to do it again. Soon. Taking a deep breath, I raised my head and looked at myself in the mirror. Where I’d seen anxiety in my eyes a few minutes ago, I saw desire building instead and watched as my cheeks darkened and felt as my...cock...started to harden again. I could smell her in there, and the memory of her moans firmed me up faster than I could believe. I shook my head, took another fortifying breath, and opened the door into Corra’s room. She was walking back in with a glass
of water and stopped when she saw me. I could see desire building in her again and when she smiled at me, I knew it didn’t matter how badly I freaked out, she’d help me through it.

  “Can you stay?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  “Are you ok?”

  I nodded again.

  “Did I push too much?”

  This time, I shook my head. “No, Corra...you’re...perfect.” Cheesy, Dan. I internally rolled my eyes at myself.

  Her smile widened and she made her way to me. “Feeling’s mutual. Lay with me?” she asked, taking my hand and leading me to the bed.

  “Take off your pants,” she said, and her bossy tone threatened my...dick...again. I did as she said, removing shoes and socks as well.

  “Hm. I can wash those for you,” she said and nodded to my boxer briefs. I hesitated. She’d see me naked. I was pasty, wiry, and she was perfect with an unknown amount of experience with men better looking, better built, and more assertive than me.

  She took the decision out of my hands when she walked over and worked the underwear down over my hips and pushed them to the floor. “No need to be uncomfortable,” she whispered, making my…dick twitch.

  I was going to have to stop hesitating over my penis. If I couldn’t say it, I shouldn’t play with it.

  Her bright, blue eyes lowered to the floor and she bent down to get the underwear off the floor. “I’ll be right back. Get into bed, Dan.” She turned and left the room.

  Panting heavily, I tried to get myself back under control. My...dick (dang it!) was rising again, so I hurried to the bed and under the covers to hide it. When Corra returned to the room, she walked to the bed and slid in next to me after divesting herself of her silky nightgown. I couldn’t mask my sharp inhale at her body, then my full-body shiver when her skin brushed mine. She turned on her side, nestling under my arm, and laying her head on my chest. Her deep exhale told me she was content and I could feel her smile against my chest. “I think you’re a keeper, Dan,” she murmured quietly. Her fingers traced down my chest, back and forth over my ribs, down to my belly button, then further down to the top of my pubic hair and made a new trail back up. She was leaving goosebumps in her wake but I didn’t mind.